


Constant

by Alt_jade127



Series: Constant [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Bottom!Cas, F/M, Long Distance Relationships, M/M, it's a terrible life au, top!dean
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-25
Updated: 2014-11-27
Packaged: 2018-01-20 17:04:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1518446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alt_jade127/pseuds/Alt_jade127
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every year for Sam's birthday, Dean gets off work early and they spend a week at their family's cabin. This year, Dean got off very early, and walked in of Sam's birthday present from Jessica. He waits for his brother in a small bakery near his brother's apartment, and meets the very attractive owner, Castiel Milton.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Dean sits at his desk tapping an ink pen at nothing in the air with his legs propped on his desk, and a crossword in his lap. He had just had lunch, but like always, was still hungrey. This was his last full day before his week off, and he felt like a teenager in the last class of the day before summer vacation. 

Tomorrow would be his brother, Sam's birthday, and he and Sam were going to the hunting cabin that their dad owns. Because it was May; however, it would be used for fishing. He and Sammy would get there sometime in the afternoon tomorrow, and then, Sammy's fiancé, Jessica, their parents, and a few close friends, would drive up on the fourth for a small get together. 

It's what they did every year for Sam's birthday, and Dean liked it too. He would load Sammy and all their junk into his '67 Impala, and they'd start driving at four, and stop for dinner at a small dinner that has been around since before their parents found it when they were pregnant with Dean and on their way to the same cabin when Mary, their mother, had a craving for pie. Well, their father, John, would never deny Mary anything, especially when she was pregnant, so they stopped there, and it became tradition. 

After dinner, Dean got pie, and Sam would stare in disgust, wondering how Dean could eat anymore after such a huge meal, while drinking a cup of coffee. 

Once they arrived at the cabin, they were to call their parents and let them know they made it safely. Mary would become worried if they called anytime after ten, telling them that even though they are grown men, they are still her boys. 

Dean had let his mind venture into the thoughts of his week, and wasn't happy when he was being buzzed by his secretary, reminding him that he is not yet on the peir, over looking the lake, fishing. 

"It's you father on line one." His secretary told him over the speaker in his desk. 

He rolled his eyes, his father probably just wanted to go over the Chicago transfer again.


	2. Chapter 2

Dean leaves the office early the day of his little brother's birthday. Asking his secretary to cancel all meetings, hold all his calls, and that he's taking his break early. Early meaning that he has been in the office for not even five minuets after coming back from his lunch break.

He had a big week planned for Sammy's birthday, it is the big 3-0 after all. Dean is supposed to stop by Sammy's at four to pick him up, and they would head straight for their hunting cabin not far from town. Since Sammy's birthday is nowhere near hunting season, however, they will spend the week fishing, and drinking beers. The two of them head out now, and then, their parents, family, and friends will be in the next day for a party, and then they get the week to themselves. 

Dean figures that the first thing he should do, is go home and change into something a little less 'hurry up with my no fat decaf soy latte, I have to go do lawyer things' and a little more 'Dean Winchester'. 

He bounded out of the elevator and through the lobby faster than the doorman had ever seen him move, even when he was late, and practically jumped into his classic black 1967 Chevrolet Impala. The familiar leather seats a haven for Dean that is only intensified by the purr of the engine, and Led Zepplin popping into life through his speakers. 

'This was going to be a great week.' He thought. 

***

After he changed clothes and pulled up next to Sam's apartment, he looked down at his watch. It was 1:32, Dean has never been this early for anything. 

He figured he could just hang out in Sam's apartment while he waited, Sam would probably be awake, and Jessica, Sam's soon-to-be-fiance, loved Dean.

Dean cut the engine, and climbed out of the old friend. The area seemed pretty normal, there was a butcher, a small produce shop, and a bakery, along with some bookstores, and a couple of boutiques. Above most of the stores were apartments, and Dean noticed that Sam and Jessica's sat on top of a small boutique next to a bakery. 

This is the first time since Sam moved in with Jessica that Dean's been to the apartment, not carrying boxes and boxes of Sam's junk from his apartment to Jessica's. His brother moved in with his fiance a little over a month ago, and Dean is still coping with the "empty-nest-syndrome" that Sam insists on calling it. 

Dean unlocks the door to the small corridor for the apartment building, and climbs the stairs to the second floor, apartment 7A. He doesn't knock, or slowly enter like a normal person, he unlocks the door, and bursts into the apartment when he hears Jessica yelling as if she were in pain. Dean rounds the corner into the living room, and sees Sam and Jessica on the couch having sex. 

Jessica lets out a scream, and Dean turns around, face going red and trying not to laugh. 

"Dean!?" He hears Sam yell, and he hears his enormously tall brother storm over to him. 

"Hey uh... Sorry Sammy.... I'll uh.... I'll go..." He rushes out of the apartment, and barrels down the staircase, probably interrupting some old lady's episode of Days of Our Lives, but he has to get out of there before he dies of laughter. 

Once he's back onto the streets, he lets out bursts of laughter and obviously drawing in people's attention. Dean tries to collect himself when a woman and her small child in a stroller walk by, and the mom pulls her daughter to get away from Dean quicker. This causes him to laugh for a little while longer, but that soon subsides and he has full composure. Maybe. 

He looks around the slightly busy street, and at all of the options. It's just after lunch on a Tuesday, and he sees stay at home moms picking up fresh produce, and what maybe home schooled kids, and what maybe skippers walking around in clusters of about three or four. This is going to be a good day. 

The small bakery next to Sam's seems to be calling his name along with the hope of a pie. The sign read Little Slice of Heaven, and Dean figured it to be some girl with thin dyed blond hair and at least a few daddy issues, but when he walked in, there was a man. He wore an apron over his lower half, and a white tee shirt with the bakery's logo printed on it, however, Dean noticed these things last. The first thing he saw were blue eyes-ocean blue, midnight blue, cobalt blue, no matter what name you tried to give the eyes would just not seem to work. 

Dean did not notice that he was staring until two girls, most likely in their late teens, early twenties, shoved past him completely un-phased as they talked about someone named Jared Padelecki and Justin Beiber fighting online. He calmly followed them to the cash register, and waited for them to place their order. As they spoke to the man behind the register, Dean looked up to the menu above a mirror. It was a chalk menu, with the date written and a list of the sweets for the day, along with the number of how many of them were left. The sign was in sections, cupcakes, cakes, candies, and the farthest one to the right, was pie. There were three slices of blueberry, five Apple, and there was a whole key lime pie. The mirror under the menu showed exactly what was behind the counter, from a land-line rotary dial telephone to a well shaped ass in straight-legged jeans.  
After the girls had ordered, Dean could hear their shared giggles and whispers of adoration of the blue eyed man. Hell, Dean would be giggling too, if he wasn't Dean Winchester. Winchesters don't giggle. Even though he had plenty to be giggling about. 

The girls got their orders, and sat near the window, with clear views of the man behind the counter, and Dean. Dean stepped towards the counter, but over thought his step, and walked into to counter. After he hit the counter, he hopped back, and rubbed his neck with his hand. 

"Uh.. I'll get a slice of the uh, of the apple pie... To-go, please." Dean said, trying to avoid eye contact. The man turned to the other wall, where some cakes and pies were. "So uh, is this your wife's, or uh, is it yours?"  
The man turned to face Dean with a slice of pie and a box. "You're new here, aren't you?" He squinted and tilted his head to the side. 

"Caught me." He smiled at him, and raised both hands up in surrender. 

"I own this bakery, and my sister Anna helps." He put the pie in the box, and sat the pie cutter down. "My name is Catiel Milton." He held out his hand to Dean. 

"Dean Winchester," he said, taking the man's hand and firmly shaking it. "Nice to meet you." 

They held eye contact and hands for longer than normal until Dean snapped out of it, and began reaching for his wallet. "Uh... How much?" 

"Your first slice is free," Castiel says, giving Dean a fork. "If you eat it in the store." 

"Hey," Dean smiles at him and reaches for the box of pie. "Anything for free pie." 

Castiel looks at him and raises his eyebrows, smiling. "Anything?" He muttered. 

Dean's fork froze right before it touched the pie as he looked up at Castiel. Castiel seemed to not realize Dean could hear him, and slouched down behind the counter. In the mirror, Dean could see that he was picking something up. He appeared not a whole moment later with a camera. 

Castiel clears his throat before speaking. "Do you uh, do you mind? Whenever I get new customers, I take pictures of their faces when they first take a bite." He points towards a cork board filled with pictures of people that seemed to be happily surprised at their cakes, and cupcakes, and macaroons, and so many other things. Dean looked at it closely, and noticed his moose of a brother in one of the pictures, eating a chocolate cupcake. 

"Hey..." Dean points at the picture of Sam and the cupcake. 

"Oh, you know Sam and Jessica?" Castiel asked, tilting his head again, with less squinting. 

"Yeah, Sam's my not-so-little-little brother." Dean smiled at the picture of his brother. 

Castiel leans on the counter, and puts his head in his hand and smiled with his teeth. Dean looked back over to Castiel and smirked at him. "So, get the camera ready, I have great facial expressions." 

Dean noticed Castiel's cheeks redden and he wondered what he was thinking about when he cut himself a large bite sized piece of the pie. "Get ready for the picture, one.. Two..." 

On an unspoken "three", Dean took his first bite of Castiel's apple pie, and his eyes grew wide, and he seemed to whimper. Castiel's eyes widened when he heard it, and almost missed the perfect shot. 

"Castiel, this is one of the best pieces of pie, I have ever had! It's really similar to Jessica's apple pie." Dean says, though it was muffled through the pie. 

"Jessica doesn't cook. She almost always orders from here." Castiel says. 

"Well then, Castiel Milton, I have an apology for you. You make the best pie in general that I have ever had, ever." Dean tells him as he leans his back onto the counter, facing the front door, taking another bite, and noticing the girls from earlier now giggling and whispering about Dean. Who wouldn't whisper and giggle about Dean? Behind the girls, Dean could see his brother walking past the bakery, obviously looking for Dean.   
Dean turns around and looks at Castiel. "Looks like Sam's looking for me, I hope he doesn't ring my neck."  
"Are you late for something?" Castiel asks, standing up straighter, and slightly nervous in case he had gotten Dean into trouble. 

"No, the opposite." Dean smiles at Castiel and gets another piece ready to eat. "I got here early and walked in on him and Jessica having sex in the living room." Dean said before taking another large bite, and not noticing Castiel's cheeks turning a bright shade of red. "We're going on a fishing trip for his birthday, and I got here earlier than what I was supposed to." Dean says, mouth full of pie, and smiling back at Castiel when his smile seemed to come back effortlessly as he laughed at Dean's situation.

After he swallowed his bite, Dean chuckled, and watched Castiel smile. When he noticed the other man was staring at him, Castiel stopped, and suddenly became conscious of his laugh and smile. Sam walks in after a while of Dean and Castiel staring at each other, and Dean eating an apple pie. 

"Dean!?" Sam says, slightly confused as to why his brother was here. "What are you doing here?"

Dean shoved another large bite into his mouth before answering. "Well, I got out of the office early, and when I got to your house, you and Jessica were having sex, so I came in here, and got a slice of the best pie ever, by Cas here," Dean explains, as Castiel' head snaps up in attention to the abbreviated name that Dean had given him. "Waiting on you and your fiance to deflower each other." Dean smiled as if to say 'I think I'm adorable' after being asked 'Do you think this is funny?'.

Castiel looked at the box in Dean's arm, to see how much pie he had left, but it seemed that Dean had eaten all of his pie in four bites. Castiel smiled at Sam and Dean's banter about Jessica, sex, and free pie. It ended with Sam rolling his eyes, and telling Dean he'd wait for him in the car, and saying goodbye to Castiel. 

"Goodbye, Sam." Castiel replies. 

Dean throws the box and the disposable fork into the trash can next to the counter, and looks back up at Castiel for a moment. "So uh... You make really great pie, and it was nice meeting you..." He says, not making any eye contact as he turned to head towards the door. 

After he exited the store, Cas felt funny; however, that didn't last very long, because Dean walked right back in and right back up to the counter. 

"You make great pie!" He said, putting a twenty dollar bill, and a white piece of paper into the tip jar. He turned, and walked out of the bakery, quicker than before, but also, as it was evident on his face, happier than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the real first chapter, promise.


	3. Chapter 3

Castiel watched the freckled man walk out of his bakery for a second time, and waited until he was completely out of site before he stuck his hand into the tip jar, and pulled out the peice of paper. It was a business card with Dean's name scrawled in a black, beautiful font. Castiel flipped the card over, and there was a number written in red pen with the word 'personal' next to it. He smiled to himself, and put the card into his apron's pocket.

He turned his back to the counter, and toward the chalkboard. It was time for an update. The menu was in Castiel's opinion, perfect in any way. It had groups of the different types of sweets they had, and it had how many of that specific sweet they had left. When he climbed onto his stepstool, he erased the number next to the apple pie, and filled it in with a four. As he erased the five he smiled to himself, and as he wrote the four, the smile grew on the outside too. Maybe he could finally be happy.

His sister, Anna walked out with a fresh tray of chocolate mocha cupcakes, and looks at her brother in confusion. She placed all of the cupcakes into their places, and noticed that he was still standing there. Still standing on his step stool, staring at the four next to the apple pie, smiling like Anna hasn't seen him smile in forever. She took the tray that she had brought the cupcakes on, and hit him with it, across the ass.  
Instead of him jumping like she wanted, he simply turned his head calmly to her with a confused look. "What was that for?"

"You were staring at the chalkboard like you were going to pounce on it, that's why!" She told him, laughing.

Castiel jumped down from his stool, and began to fold it up. "You didn't have to smack me."

"Oh come off it..." She put the tray under the counter, and smiled. "Who was it?"

"Excuse me?"

"Who were you taking to?"

Castiel sighed in resignation. "His name is Dean Winchester."

"Sam's big brother?" She asks, straightening a card over the cash register that told those paying to have a nice day.

"You know him?"

"Not really, I've seen him around with Sam and Jessica, and one day, the three of them were walking by, and Jessica waved them on to come and talk to me. I asked who he was, and she told me." She raises an eyebrow to him. "You like him?"

Cas looked at her with a get-serious face. "I just met him."

"I've never met Benedict Cumberbatch, but I like him." She points out.

Castiel rolls his eyes. "That's different, he's famous, and he's Benedict Cumberbatch. Everyone likes him."

She shrugs. "Brother, you have made a point."

"Of course I did." Castiel smiles at her and puts the stool back where he had gotten it.

Sometime after three, and after Castiel's normal after school group, the phone rang it's ancient ring. He answers the rotary dial phone, and pulls it on top of the counter with his signature, "Slice of Heaven Bakery, this is Castiel, what can I do for you?"

"Castiel," a woman's voice said over the line. "Hey, it's Jessica, I was wondering if it's too late to order a birthday cake for Sam for tomorrow?" She asks, and Castiel can feel her worry on the other end, right next door. "I kind of blew up the oven... Again."

"Oh my god, Jessica, are you okay?" The panic in Castiel's voice was evident.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she reassured him. "It wasn't bad enough forThe fire department, and Ssm will be able to fix it."

"One day, you'll catch yourself on fire," Castiel tells her, laughing. "What kind of cake?"

"I want to get him red velvet, because it's his favorite, but Dean doesn't like red velvet cake at all." Castiel perks up at the mention of the man he'd just met.

"I'm sure Dean can get over it." Castiel says, thinking about how to make a red velvet cake that a pie lover would like.

"Yeah, he'd do anything to make Sam happy." Castiel smiles to himself, thinking of the man that had been in here only a few short hours ago and his enormous little brother that still frightened Cas on ocassion even if he seemed to be the biggest puppy both physically and mentally. 

"Castiel, you still there?" He hadn't noticed he stopped listening to Jessica after the mention of her soon-to-be-brother-in-law. 

"Uh, yeah... Sorry Jessica. What'd you say?"

"I said, Dean will just have to go without a big sweet thing. I'm sure he brought a big bag of peanut M&M's, he says that they're provisions." Jessica laughs on the other end of the line. 

"I'll see what I can do. Come by tomorrow around noon to pick up the cake, okay?"

"Alrighty, will do! Thanks Castiel!"

They bid each other goodbye, and hung up the phone. Castiel put the phone back under the counter, and looked to his sister that was wiping tables off and chatting with a customer over what brand of ditergent would get the frosting stains out of her husband's shirts. 

"Anna," she looked to Castiel. "You got the front? We've got an order."

She nodded and continued with her talk about Tide and the other detergents that Castiel was sure existed, but didn't really care much to remember the names to. 

He goes to the back where the kitchen is, just past a flight of stairs that lead to his small appartment above the store. In the kitchen, he smelt the batch of orange something's that Anna makes for fun. When they were little, and their dad would be out for a long time, their older siblings would watch them, and they would supervise them in the kitchen, letting them throw to gather any concoction they could think of. Orange something's were an accident of Anna's. She had gotten bored one day when Castiel was sick and their brother, Micheal told her to bring him some orange juice, and when she asked Gabriel to take her to the store and get some, he planted the idea to make something for Castiel that had orange juice in it. What came out after baking were these candy-like things that they called orange something's. 

Castiel pulled out all of the ingredients for Sam's cake, and stared at it for a long moment. Jessica said that Dean didn't like red velvet cake. He had decided that after he finishes Sam's cake, if there is time left in the work day, he will mak a pie for Dean.  
***  
Of course, Castiel finishes the cake exceedingly fast and has enough time to at least start the crust for a pie for Dean. He sat on the floor of the kitchen flipping Dean's card in his fingers, trying to decide whether or not to bake the pie, when Anna walks in to hang up her apron.

"Whatcha got there, Castiel?" She askes, turning her back to him as she hangs up her apron and takes her purse from the rack. 

"Nothing," Castiel says a little too quickly as he stands and sets the card under a cookie sheet that was sitting on the counter. "Just a peice of paper from the floor."

"Well, if you stare at a peice of paper like that, I'm surprised it hasn't caught fire. Anyways, I'm gone, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" She hugged him and waved as she stepped out of the kitchen. 

Castiel waited until he heard the front door open and close that he thought-a little over time would be fine. 

"It would be unprofessional of me," he told himself, staring at a basket of apples. 

"I'm a baker, this is my own shop. Fuck it." 

Castiel took some apples from the basket. 

"We don't know each other."

He began peeling and slicing them. 

"He put his number in the tip jar with 'call me' written on it."

He began making the dough. 

"It could have been a mistake."

After the dough was make, he began rolling it out. 

"No one 'accidentally' puts their card in a tip jar with their personal number scribbled on the back."

Castiel presses the crust into the metal pan. 

"But Dean isn't 'no one'."

He starts the apple filling. 

"He's 'someone'."

He pours the filling into the crust. 

"Well, I suppose everyone is 'someone'." 

He rolls out the left over dough to make the top crust. 

"But Dean... Dean's different." 

He laughs and looks at the circle of dough. 

"Dean has..."

The dough is untouched. 

"What does Dean have that makes him a 'someone'?"

He cuts the dough into strips for a crisscross pattern. 

"Dean has eyes."

Castiel begins placing the strips onto the top of the pie and pauses. 

"Dean Winchester has green eyes."

He starts to put the top of the pie together. 

"Dean Winchester has candy apple green eyes."

More pieces together. 

"Dean Winchester has bubblegum pink lips."

Castiel started putting them on and crisscrossing them faster than before. 

"Dean Winchester has freckles scattered across his face."

The top crust was done, and he began to blend it with the undercrust. 

"A lot of people have those qualities, I'm sure." 

He put the pie in the refrigerator so that he can bake it before Jessica comes in and it will not be a day old pie. 

"But no one has them like Dean does."  
***  
Early the next morning, Castiel gets up to prepare the pastries for the day. When he goes into the refrigerator for eggs, and butter, and all of the cold ingredients, he looks a an unbaked apple pie and smiles as he pulls it out and sets it on the counter. Anna comes in at ten to open and help with the displays, and she gives a questioning glance to the pie that had just come out of the oven. 

"Jessica put in an order for a pie and a cake for Sam's birthday." He half-lies. 

Anna dissmisses it, and goes to the front of the store to leave Castiel with the pie. 

Looking down at the warm pie, Castiel sighs heavily.

"Fuck."  
***  
Jessica walks into the shop not long after the pie fully cools for the cake with another blond woman with dark eyes and wavy hair. They were both smiling and laughing when they stepped into the bakery.

"Hey, Castiel, this is Jo Harvelle, she's a friend of Dean and Sam's." Jessica said to him. 

Was she something to Dean too? Castiel wondered. "Hello, Jessica, and Jo," surely Dean wouldn't leave his number if he was seeing someone. "The cake is in the back, if you don't mind me going to get it." He fast walked to the refrigerator quickly to retrieve the cake, and when he lifted the brown box with the bakery's logo on top, he looked to the pie on the counter. How could he send the pie with Jessica without her questioning it? 

He boxed it and quickly thought up a plan as he came back around to the counter where Anna and the blonds were chatting about cupcake icing. 

"Here you are," Castiel says, setting the two boxes on the counter and ringing Jessica up only for the cake. 

"Why are there two boxes?" Jessica asked, tilting her head playfully. 

"One is an apple pie," Castiel tells her. "It is for Dean."

Jessica laughs and looks at Castiel as if he were a small child who had made a mistake, and not a grown man that was older than her. "I only ordered a cake,"

"Dean came in yesterday and bought one and asked if you could take it to him. If it is alright with you, he said he would ask you, but I guess he didn't." Castiel avoided Anna's questioning eyes as he blatantly lied to one of his acquaintances. 

Jo had stopped smiling long ago, but grinned when Castiel was finished with his lie. "That sounds like Dean!" She says with a laugh. 

Castiel's nerves calm, knowing he is in the clear, but not completely becaus he can still feel Anna's icy gaze on him. He is still not completely calm when Jessica and Jo walk out of the bakey with the cake and the pie without any further questions. Mostly because that left him alone with Anna. 

"Dean didn't order that pie yesterday, and neither did Jessica." She accused. 

"Did I tell you that Jessica called it in? I'm sorry, I meant that Dean did..."

"You're a terrible liar," She raised an eyebrow. "You think that Dean's cute, so you baked him a pie. You lied to Jessica because she wouldn't take it without paying you." 

"You have always been amazingly good at that." 

"Castiel, if you like this guy so much, then call him!" Castiel opened his mouth to tell her that he did not have Dean's number, but she quickly produced a business card from what seemed to be thin air. "You forget, brother dear,you are a terrible liar. This was under the cookie sheets this morning." 

She help the card out to him and looked at him sternly. "I suggest you take a lunch break."

Castiel knew this to be code for go into the kitchen and call this guy, maybe even eat something, so he went into the kitchen and pulled out his phone. All the while, he was pretending to be on the phone and licking a spoon of icing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's taken me a while to figure out how to use this sight, but I'm getting it...


	4. Chapter 4

Dean expected Castiel to call him almost immediately after he had left the bakery the second time, but after dinner, he figured that he was probably playing hard to get. Early the next morning, Dean and Sam woke up early and made breakfast, Sam with a text from Jessica, and Dean with nothing. They sat and ate breakfast on the back porch of the cabin that overlooked the lake, and they were not interrupted by phone calls from gorgeous blue eyed men. Sam and Dean cleaned up breakfast, and made their way to the lake with their fishing gear, and four beers. Dean purposefully left his cell phone at the cabin in case Castiel tried to get in touch with him, and Dean could have his revenge. Alas, when they got back to the the cabin, all of his messages were from his parents, asking when they were supposed to get to the cabin, and why he wasn't answering his phone. At lunch, Sam was finally fed up with Dean's attitude. 

"What's up with you today?" Sam asked. 

"Nothing's wrong with me, Sammy," he faked a smile. "What could be wrong with me?" 

Sam kept quiet for a while longer, trying to figure out what exactly would be putting his brother in a foul mood. They were sitting in the kitchen at a small circular table with box pizza on paper plates in front of them. Dean continued to chew at his food until Sam thought up his own answer as to why Dean was being an ass. 

"Is it because you left your favorite shirt at home? Look, I talked to Jessica last night and she said that she-"

"It's not about my damn shirt Sam," Dean answered. "Look, if it's this important to you, it's Cas, okay?"

"Cas? Castiel, the baker?" Sam laughed. "Dude... Are you serious?"

When Dean said nothing, Sam laughed again. "Dean, you met the guy yesterday, what could he have done that has gotten you so uptight?" 

Dean rolls his eyes at his brother. "It's not 'what has he done', Sammy, it's what he hasn't done." Sam looks confused again. "Look, Sammy, I put my number in the tip jar yesterday, and he hasn't called me yet."

Sam laughs. "You're upset because someone that you have only met once, hasn't called you yet? Unbelievable, Dean, Castiel is shy, okay? He won't call you first, besides, he's probably busy." Sam continues to laugh at his brother's lack of understanding. 

"Bitch."

"Jerk."  
***  
Not long after the boys were done with lunch, Sam got a call from Jessica, letting him know that they were pulling into the road to get to the cabin and that they would be there in just a few minuets. Dean knew that if Jo was coming, that Bobby and Ellen would be there too, so he set out to make the rooms as comfotable as possible. His mom and dad would get their room, of course, Bobby and Ellen the guest room, and Jo and Jess get Sam and Dean's old room. Sam and Dean would sleep in the living room. 

Sam sat on the front porch waiting for Jessica and Jo drinking a beer, while Dean cleans some more in the kitchen, and ultimately letting his mind wander. As he folded up the pizza box and put it into the garbage, Dean could see himself in Castiel's bakery again, sitting with the dark haired, blue eyed man and laughing. Dean sees him, pushing their chairs closer, both acting as if it were an accident, and attempting to look shocked when they turn to look at each other, and they're nothing but an inch or two away from each other and they lean into each other slowly. Before their lips can touch, Dean can feel a hand on his shoulder as he is shocked back into reality with a jolt. He turns around to face Jo who is holding two brown boxes and wearing a confused look on her face as to why exactly Dean had reacted the way he did. 

"Jesus Dean, you alright?" She asks. 

He shakes his head. "Yeah, uh, I'm fine... What's uh, what's in the boxes Jo?"

"Like you don't know, it's your pie, and Sam's cake." She sat them down, and Dean could see Castiel's bakery's logo on the top of the boxes, and he thought of the beautiful man that hasn't called him yet. 

"My pie?" 

"Yeah, the guy at the bakery said that you ordered a pie yesterday and that you wanted Jess to pick it up and bring it to you." Jo told him. 

"He did, did he?" Dean smiles to himself as he opens to smaller box which holds an apple pie, still moderately warm. Maybe Castiel wasn't as shy as Sam said he was, he thought as he pulled a fork out of the drawer farthest from the sink and is about to take a forkful of the pie, when his mom and Ellen walk in, the first thing he hears is Ellen.

"Down boy, save the dessert for dessert." She laughed, and Dean put the pie back into the box.  

Mary came up to him and gave him a hug. "Hey sweetie." She says.

"Hey mom." He hugs her back and kisses her on the cheek, when his dad, Bobby, Sam, and Jessica walk in. 

Dean greats his friends and family in equal parts, and helps Sam take everyone's thigs to their rooms. After they got everyone settled, and Mary had finished criticizing Dean over freezer pizza, Mary and Ellen started dinner while Jo and Jess talked wedding at the kitchen table. Bobby and John sat in the guest bedroom, which was also John's gun room, repeating stories told over a thousand times to each other, and Sam was being sociable, taking his time with each of the respected groups and making conversation with Jess and Jo on if indeed, they should make Dean wear a dress to the wedding which earned a slap upside the head from Dean and an endearing, "Bitch." To which Sam replied by punching him in the shoulder with an equally affectionate, "Jerk." Which had earned both of the boys a knock on the head from Bobby with a muttered, yet no less meaningful "Idjits."  
***  
Dean, having had enough of the difference between Royal blue, and blue, and whether or not the sixteen foot bear was indeed real, and after simply getting pushed out of the kitchen, he sneaks a picture of Castiel's box that had the shop's number on the front, and leaves the cabin. He sneaks around to the back and down to the small dock that he and Sam had been fishing on earlier that day. Their chairs were still there, side by side, and there was one more beer left in the small ice chest. Before Dean cast his line, he cracked it open and took a long drink of it. Everything was quiet and Dean just looked out at the lake, every once and a while reeling in some small perch, and tossing them back.

Soon, he looked over to see Castiel standing next to him, with a piece of paper clutched in his hand, asking why he hasn't called. 

"Sam's told you that I'm shy." 

"Well, Cas, not many shy people I know bake a man they have just met a whole pie for themselves." Dean sips his beer once more, and the illusion is gone. 

He reaches for his cell phone and goes to the picture of Castiel's box, reciting the number on it until he has it dialed and has pressed send. 

What Dean doesn't know, is that on the other line, Anna has finally forced Castiel to call Dean's cell phone. Only for him to tell her that the line is busy and that he will try again tomorrow. Anna makes him call once more, when the rotary dial phone rings and Anna answers it with false kindness. 

"Slice of Heaven Bakery, this is Anna." Dean hears through his phone's speakers. 

"Hi uh... My name is Dean Winchester...." Anna's eyes get wide as she turns to Castiel and forces him to stop calling Dean. "Is uh... Is Cas there...?"

Anna's head snaps around to Castiel. "He calls you 'Cas'?" She whispered, trying to make sure Dean doesn't hear, but ultimately failing. Dean tries to surpress a laugh as the phone is handed to Castiel, and Castiel pulls it with the cord to the staircase that connects his apartment to the bakery. 

"Hello, Dean." Castiel says. 

"Um... Uh... Hey, Cas., what's up?"

"You called me Dean." Castiel says with a laugh. 

Dean smiles. "Yeah, because you didn't call me, Cas. I gave you that number to use." 

Castiel was silent for a long time. 

"You still there, Cas?" 

"Yes Dean, I am still here." 

"You baked me a pie..." Dean smirks. 

"Well, Jessica had commented on how you did not like red velvet cake, and you had told me that you enjoyed my pie, so I-yes, I baked you a pie..." Castiel laughs nervously and picks at the paint on the wall next to him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Cas, but why'd you do it?" 

"Because I wanted to make you happy." It was Dean's turn to be quiet this time. "Dean?"

Dean cleared his throat. "Uh, sorry Cas... It's just uh..." He laughed. "Thank you."

"Anytime." Castiel told him as he leans back on the stairs. "So why did you call me?"

"Because you haven't called me, and I needed to thank someone for baking me a pie without being asked." Dean says. "That and I was bored."

"How so?"

"Well, Sam and I got to the cabin, and everyone's paired off. I just thought that since they won't let me sit there and eat my pie quietly, I would come sit by the lake, and fish. Thank you for the pie."

"It was no problem Dean, I am happy that it made you happy. I am sorry that you were left out of your family activities." Castiel tells him. 

"Oh, no, it's nothing, Sam is social with everyone and he sees me every other day, so he's drifting. Jess and Jo are going through wedding plans, my mom, and Jo's mom, Ellen are cooking, and my dad and Bobby, Ellen's husband, are in the gun room. I'm just not needed right now." Dean says nonchalantly as he takes another sip of his beer. 

"Don't say that Dean, I am sure that you are needed by a lot of people." Castiel pleads to him, slightly shocked at his tone and wanting to change the subject. "So uh... What are they making for dinner, your mom and Ellen."

"Just a big fish fry. All the fish Sam and I caught yesterday, and today. Cornbread, hush puppies, the whole enchilada." Dean laughs.  

They continue talking about families and their jobs. Dean learned that along with Anna, Castiel had a brother, Gabriel, and that after he told his parents he wanted to go to culinary school, and become a pastry chef instead of following in their footsteps they were very disappointed in him. Gabriel, who is the prankster of the family, has run off to Europe with some bottle blond male model. Anna is slightly younger than Castiel and is most protected by the boys. She was told she could do anything she liked, and she went to work for Castiel after he was in a car wreck and she simply never quite. Dean told Castiel about how he worked for his family's bank. It was passed down on his mother's side, although no one could tell because after his mom'a parents died, Mary and John took over the bank, but kept the name, D&S Bank. He told Castiel about how it had originally stood for Deana and Samuel, his mom'a parents, but now represented Dean and his brother, Sam. 

Dean and Castiel were talking about how Castiel had never eaten fried fish, when Mary walked onto the dock without Dean's knowledge. 

"Well, next time, maybe I will have known you for longer, and you could come with us." Mary stops, and listens to her son's conversation, eyebrows raised. 

"I would like that, Dean." Castiel says. 

"You should, my mom is an amazing cook, she-" Dean stops and turns to a creaking sound from the dock. "Hey, Cas, I'll have to call you back, okay? I'll see you later, thank you again for the pie."

"It was no problem, Dean, goodbye." Dean hung up. 

"Mom, how long were you standing there?" Dean asks as he stands. 

"Long enough to know that you were saying nice things about me, and he's never had a proper meal." She says, laughing and hugging Dean. "Now come on, sweetie. Dinner's ready." 


	5. Chapter 5

Castiel hangs up the phone as he stands on the bottom stair with the phone set. How long had he been on the phone with Dean?

   
He walked to the counter to put the phone up, and looked over to Anna who looked slightly worried and exhausted. 

"Are you okay?" He asks. 

"It's five o'clock, Castiel. You have been on the phone with mister tall dark and handsome for three and a half hours." She spits. "I wanted you to talk to him, but I didn't know that it would take you that long. I had burned two batches of snicker doodles, and dropped a cake. This is what happens when you leave me to work the front and the back while you're on the phone with your boyfriend!" 

"He's not my boyfriend, Anna." He wipes the counter down, and looks out at the handful of people in the shop. "We just met."

"Well, when you talk on the phone with someone, for hours, your favorite sibling starts to think otherwise!" She snips.   
Castiel gives her a disbelieving look. She's being overly dramatic, and he knows why. "Would you like to take the rest of the day off?"

Her face brightens and she rushes back to the kitchen to collect her things. 

"Thanks Castiel, I feel bad for leaving you like this!" She says, almost completely out the door. Castiel smiles at his sister's lie.   
***  
The rest of the day goes on rather uneventful with multiple drifting thoughts towards Dean. A few people came in not long after what he suspected would be their dinner, and he had a woman call in an order for some cupcakes for her daughter's birthday. Of course he could hardly focus as he kept thinking about Dean and his voice over the phone. 

He closed early that night by a few minuets, and looked once more at the bakery's phone before going up to his appartment. Dean doesn't have his personal number, and he wasn't sure if he'd call him back. Castiel still had Dean's card, on his nightstand, where he had put it yesterday before going to bed. 

After he had put on his pajamas, he sat on his bed, and stared at the card next to him, as if waiting on it to fly away, or burst into flames. Castiel looked at the clock; 8:45. He doesn't think that Dean would be the type of guy to go to bed early, and Dean did tell him to call whenever.

Castiel reached for his phone on his pillow as he dialed Dean's number. He waited anxiously as the phone rang, and rang, and Castiel leaned against the head board of his bed with his legs crossed. 

"Hello?" A female voice spoke.

"Who is this?" Castiel asked, sitting up in his bed. 

"Mary Winchester, I'm Dean's mom, who is this?" She asked, not recognizing the voice as any of Dean's friends. 

"My name is Castiel Milton," he said, feeling rather awkward. "Is Dean there?"

Mary laughed, and it eased the tension over the line. "He is passed out at the dinner table in a pie dish."

Castiel chuckled. "Is he now?"

"Yeah, Jessica brought an apple pie from this bakery, and Dean kept the whole thing to himself, and passed out in it. Are you the boy that my son was talking to on the dock?" Castiel could feel the humor in her words. 

"Yes ma'am, I was the one that made the pie."

"Well Castiel, I do believe that you and I should meet sometime, and I can make you an amazing dinner. Dean has told me that you have never been to a fish fry?"

"That is correct ma'am." Castiel tells her. 

"Well then, I will have to convince Dean to invite you to-" Mary paused, and Castiel could hear a muffled conversation Over the line. 

He heard a man clear his throat. "Cas?" It was Dean. 

"Dean, you mother told me that you had fallen asleep in the pie dish." Castiel laughs, and relaxes on his bed again, holding the phone in between his head and shoulder, while he pulled a magazine from his night stand.   
   
"Uh... Yeah uh..." He cleared his throat. "I uh... I don't know how to answer that... So, what's up, Cas? Why'd you call?"

Castiel became nervous again. "I uh... I was wondering if you liked the pie." He answered hastily. 

"Oh, yeah, of course," Dean sounded slightly disappinted. "It was magnificent, Cas."

"I'm glad to hear that, Dean." Castiel smiled and put down the magazine. They were silent for a long while, until Castiel spoke again. "That wasn't the only reason I called, Dean. I wanted... I wanted to talk to you some more." 

"What did you want to talk about, Cas?" The atmosphere seeme brighter, and Dean happier. 

"I just wanted to talk to you, Dean. There is no subject of interest. Is there something that we need to talk about?" 

Dean noticed the slightest bit of hope in Castiel's voice, but he didn't know what to say to him. "I'm not sure... I mean... I don't think that there's anything we need to talk about... But, I could ask you how your day went, after we talked." 

"It was fine, Dean," he sounded slightly dissapointed. "It was fairly slow, and I let Anna off early... How was your day?"

"We had dinner, and I ate a whole pie, and I passed out and my mom answered my phone."

"Your mother sounds really nice." Castiel smiles softly. 

"Yeah uh... She's awesome." Dean looks over to his mom, as she sits in the living room with everyone while they watch a show on the CW with demons, and angels, and two brothers that cry a lot. Everyone's happy, and Dean wonders if Castiel had ever had moments like these with his brothers, sister, and parents. 

"So Cas," Dean begins, stammering slightly in his words. 

"Yes, Dean?" 

"I was wondering, if you um," he cleared his throat. "Well, I was wondering if you would like to maybe hang out sometime...?" 

Castiel's eyebrows met with the confused look on his face. "I'm sorry?" He asked as if he hadn't heard Dean well enough. 

"Well, I mean, I know that I'll be here for a week, but I was wondering if when I got back, if maybe you would like to grab like, a burger, a coffee, or something when I got back." Castiel was quite, smiling to himself like an idiot. "Well, I mean, we don't have to get burgers, or go out, I mean, like, if you wouldn't mind, just, like... I could maybe just come by the shop, and say hi, or you know... Just whatever."

"I would love to have a meal with you, Dean." Castiel laughed. 

"Really? Thank you, Cas, I'll uh," he clears his throat again. "I'll call you tomorrow, alright?"

"Yes, Dean, that sounds nice. Goodbye, Dean."

"Bye, Cas." Dean hung up and looked out to the living room of people. Sam had Jess in his lap, and there was a gap I between them and Jo, where Dean jumped over the back of the couch and sat. His mom and Ellen were sitting in chairs next to each other, discussing Dean, and the mystery man, and Bobby and his dad were talking about the dinner, Bobby in his chair, and John sitting o edge of the recliner. He felt at peace, and hoped that Cas would have been happy like this.

Castiel sat his phone down on his nightstand, and smiled as he laid down on his bed. He didn't know if this was a date, or not, but he would be happy anyway. Dean was nice, and even if this wasn't a date, he would appreciate the shared time. 


	6. Chapter 6

Dean answered on the second ring, and seemed very happy. 

"Hey, Cas, were you busy today?" He asked.

"Extremely, I had Anna working the front all day, and I was doing all of the baking." Castiel yawned, walking into his apartment above the bakery. "I've been going non stop since I woke up this morning."

"Is it only you and Anna that work there?"

"Yeah, because the shop's small, I only need Anna. If the shop ever gets bigger, I'll hire more people. I'm sorry that I couldn't take your call earlier."

"It's not a big deal, Cas, I was just bored, and Sam was being a bitch."  
Castiel laughed, and plopped onto his bed, rubbing his eye. 

"So how was your day, Dean?" 

"Good, after the family left, Sammy and I sat out on the back porch for a while, and then we got some fishing done."  
Castiel smiled. "That sound fun, did you catch anything?"

"Not a single thing," Dean laughed, and Castiel got up to go to his room. "No, uh... Fishing wasn't so great for me, as much as it was for Sammy."

"Really?" Castiel laughs. "So what are you doing up so late?"

"Sammy and I just finished cleaning out his fish, I was about to take a shower and head to bed. What about you? What kept you up late?"

"It was busy today and I just got in from work. I'll probably pass out the moment my head hits the pillow." Castiel's laugh made Dean smile. 

"So, I guess that I'll have to let you get to it, huh?" Dean rubbed the back of his neck. "Night, Cas."

"Good night Dean."  
***  
Monday came sooner rather than later, trailing along late night phone calls, and pages of text messages between Castiel and Dean. It was finally time to go home, and Dean had woken up exceedingly early, ready to go and see Castiel. Dean had planned on visiting the bakery after he dropped Sam off. 

At four o'clock in the morning, Dean had already been dressed, and had his things packed to go home. He waited until later to wake Sam up. When five o'clock rolled around, the wait had killed him. Dean rushed into the master bedroom that he had made Sam use. Sam was still asleep, but Dean ran in yelling for him to get up so that they could go home. 

"Come on, Sammy," Dean yelled in an excited tone as if he were talking to a puppy or a small child. "Get up, let's go home!! Time to go!"

Sam grunted. "Why are you up this early, Dean? Usually I'm the first one up." He said, pushing himself deeper into the sheets. "Besides, you've never wanted to leave the cabin this early before."

Dean reached over and pulled the blankets off of his brother. "I need to feed my cat."

"You don't have a cat, Dean." Sam groaned, sitting upon the edge of the bed. "I; however, have a bakery next door owned by the guy that my brother has a huge gay crush on."

Dean closed his mouth, and could feel his face burn with embarrassment as he threw clothes at Sam. "Shut up Sammy."  
***  
 Sammy did not shut up. The entire ride home, was filled with Sam poking at Dean's crush on the guy, and reminding Dean that he was going to Chicago in a couple of months. Dean did not need reminding, and had turned the radio up loud enough to block out his brother's bitching, but not his constant bitch-face.   
***  
The boys drove up to Sam's shared apartment with Jessica. Jessica was standing at the entrance of the apartment building with mail in her hands and watching the boys pull up. Dean refused to let her help take Sam's things back to the apartment as he grabbed a suitcase and followed the two. They climbed the stairwell and walked into the small apartment with little trouble. 

Jessica offered to make Dean lunch, but he had told her that he had a lunch meeting with a client, and that he needed to go home immediately and change. Sam had suspicions of this being a lie, and they were true. Dean would never tell him that though.   
***  
After Dean helped Sam get everything squared away, he drove off far enough away to make sure that his car would not be visible to Jessica and Sam's windows.  He stealthily made his way to Castiel's bakery undetected, and walked up to the red head at the counter. His first thought was that this must be Castiel's sister, Anna. 

"Hi, welcome to Slice of Heaven Bakery, what can I-" her smile faultered between a generic customer service smile to an I-know-what-you-did-last-Christmas-Break smile in seconds flat. "Castiel's in the back, want me to go get him?"

"Uh, no thanks, can I go back there?" Dean pulled his best pleading face and glanced at the back room with aromas rolling out of it. 

Anna raised an eyebrow and looked Dean up and down. "I suppose so." She moved to the side to unlock the small half door separating the main floor and the kitchen. 

Dean walked through the threshold almost too fast to be considered normal. He saw Cas standing at one of the counters mixing a dark semiliquid. It took Dean every ounce of his strength to not go up to the man and kiss him. It seemed to Dean, that it would be the most normal response to seeing him. That any other greeting would be void of  all emotion. 

In the time that it took Dean to build up the courage to say something, Castiel had finished mixing the batter, and had turned to face him. "Dean?"

"Oh, uh, hey, Cas... I uh... I just dropped Sam off. Just stopping by..."

"And I am glad that you did," Castiel smiled at him ans he stepped towards him with hopeful eyes. "I am making some cupcakes for a small office party. Would you like to help?"

Dean sighed and looked at Castiel's mouth give a slight smile. "I uh, I don't really, bake, I'm more of a barbecuing, frying, grilling kind of-" 

"You can lick the spoon."

"Yeah, I guess I could maybe help out for a while." Dean shrugs and walks closer to Castiel.   
***  
Dean had ended up helping Castiel finish the small order, and helping around in the back until closing. When a Castiel would walk out with a fresh batch of cookies, or small pastries, Anna would give him a knowing smile and laugh at his silent response of rolling his eyes. Anna left the store at nine, like always, and looked over her shoulder to her brother who was explaining to Dean the organization of the large chalkboard menu. Dean understood it clearly, but had looked for a reason to still talk to Castiel. 

After explaining to Castiel that Dean would strictly sell only pie and alcohol if he were to own a bakery, Castiel made a small remark on his habits in high school and college of mixing drinks for people that tasted similar to that of some of his most popular sweets. Dean challenged this, and caused Castiel to offer Dean a drink. That then lead to another drink, and another drink, until it was past midnight, and Castiel would not allow Dean to drive home because of his current state of intoxication. Dean's fight was not long lived, and disappeared between the first step to Castiel's apartment, and the second.  

"Come on Dean, you can sleep in my bed." Castiel said, trying to help the older Winchester up the stairs. 

"S'okay, Cas... I can take the couch." Dean replied, trying to not lean on Catiel so much, but ultimately only succeeding in almost falling backwards. 

"Dean, my couch is extremely uncomfortable, and I do not want you to be unable to sleep because of it."

"Cas, I just put an extreme dent in your liquor supply I can sleep on the floor if I had to." 

The bickering died down when the entered Castiel's small room. Dean took in all of it.  The small lamp on the bedside table gave off enough light to see everything clearly, and the warm colors of the walls and bedding made Dean smile. The bed was in the middle of the room, and a dresser was on one side, and a small table on the other side closer to the closet with a mirror door. It seemed very cozy, and exactly like what Dean pictured Castiel's room to look like. 

Not that he's ever pictured Castiel's room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really sorry about the ridiculously long wait!! I had had the other chapters written when I got this account, and I had gotten caught up with other fics I was writing!!


	7. Chapter 7

Castiel laid Dean onto the bed and looked at the smiling man. 

"Hey, Cas, why is it that you're okay? You've had just-" Dean hiccuped. "Just as many drinks as me."

"I have a better alcohol tolerance." Castiel grunted, as Dean made an awful attempt to take his shoes off. "Do you need any help?"

"No, I can take my shoes off." Dean said, still trying to get the laces undone. 

Castiel ignored Dean's refusal of his help, and kneeled before him anyways. The shoes were removed relatively quick, and afterwards, Dean started to try and take his pants off. 

"What are you doing, Dean?"

"Tryin' ta' take my pants off."

"Why?"

"Can't sleep with 'em on."

Castiel rolled his eyes and stood up to leave. 

"Where are you going?" Dean asked, standing up to grab Castiel, but ultimately failing and falling. 

Castiel was quick, and caught him before he hit the floor. "I'm sleeping on the couch."

"No you're not. You can sleep on the bed with me." Dean slurred, trying to get his footing back with his pants around his ankles. "I'll leave my shirt on."

Dean's pleading eyes made Castiel smile, and pitty him. The big bad CEO groveling to the baker. 

"Alright, alright, fine." Castiel laughed, and put Dean back onto the bed. 

Dean finished taking his pants off, and climbed under the covers. Castiel followed Dean's actions, and climbed into bed next to him. It wasn't until Castiel laid his head down that he realized just how tired he was. The warm body next to him provoked a smile from his lips, and the knowledge that it was Dean only made that smile grow larger.   
***  
Castiel woke up earlier than usual from movement in the bed. He looked over to see Dean still asleep. One of Dean's arms were underneath him, and the other was draped lazily over his chest. The heat was comfortable, and caused Castiel to relax slightly more. Dean was snoring quietly and tightened his grip on Castiel when he tried to get out of bed. When Castiel tried to make a more obvious gesture to leave, Dean stirred, but did not wake up.

He laid in Dean's arms and took the time to deeply examine him. Dean had left his shirt on, as promised, but this caused Castiel to wonder how Dean would look of he did not keep his promise. Without thought, Castiel pushed his body in closer to Dean, but immediately withdrew from the slight bulge that he feared would create an awkward moment between the two if Dean were to wake up. Still wanting to be closer to Dean, Castiel turned in Dean's arms, and pressed his back towards the slumbering Adonis before getting out of bed. 

Castiel did not want to wake up Dean because he knew that he himself gets up at an unusual hour for those that own and run a bakery. He quickly showered and went down to the bakery to start the day. 

This was always something that Castiel liked about owning and running his own business; that he could open and close as he pleased, and because of the convenience of living above his bakery, he was able to go home for lunch. He always told Anna to come in at ten, but they opened whenever Castiel felt like it, even though the sign on the door said that they open at six. Castiel had often opened both earlier and later, but there were never any complaints.   
***  
Anna came in earlier than usual today with promises of cheeseburgers for lunch. Castiel thanked her until he realized that her being such an 'angel' normally meant that she wanted something. After she volunteered to order and pay for Castiel's lunch, he began to feel uneasy. She could want anything, and the more Castiel thought about it, the more it caused him to question if it was something he himself did not know.   
***  
It wasn't until after lunch, when Castiel figured out just what she might want to know. 

It came slouching down the staircase from his apartment in yesterday's clothing and a groan aimed at the window. It's gorgeous green eyes we barley visible because he was squinting, but they were still present. 

Castiel could see Anna's jaw drop and he could feel the glare she was shooting him seconds after. He could feel her eyes follow Dean as he walked towards Castiel in a groggy and grumpy haze. 

"G' mornin', Cas." Dean grunted. 

"It's one thirty in the afternoon, Dean." Dean's eyes widened, but quickly shut themselves again in pain. "Are you alright, Dean?" 

"I'm fine, Cas, I'm just extremely late for work, and I have a killer hangover." Dean looked down to Castiel to find that he had moved closer to him after he winced in pain. "How're you not dying right now?"

Castiel shrugged. "Alcohol doesn't effect me like it does most people."

Dean nodded and pried his eyes open long enough to ask Castiel out for dinner tonight at his place. He promised to come by the bakery and pick him up whenever would be most convenient, and then he would cook for him. Castiel was about to reluctantly tell Dean no, until his loving sister interupted his decline and told Dean that he would be ready at five. Dean looked behind her shoulder over to Castiel who was smiling and took it as him wanting the same thing. Anna went back to helping the few number of customers, and Dean told Castiel goodbye. It was hard for Castiel to say goodbye without kissing Dean. 

It didn't seem to match. 

Castiel watched Dean almost hiss at the sign of the sun, and smiled to himself. He turned to go back into the kitchen, but walked right into Anna. 

"So, you fucked Dean Winchester last night?" She asked. 

Castiel rolled his eyes and begged her to be quiet. This; however did not work, because it's Anna, and her defense for speaking so loudly was that there were only regulars in the shop. They had heard the two discuss worse. 

"I did not "fuck" Dean Winchester last night."

"Blowjobs?"

"No."

"Handjobs?"

"No."

"Footjobs?"

"What the... No, Anna! We didn't do anything last night." Castiel told her. "He stayed after you left, we had some drinks, and he slept here."

Anna gave him a disbelieving look. "Alright, I'm sure that's all that happened."

"It is, Anna! He was too shitfaceds to make his way up the stairs without my assistance! You remember the last time I had a one night drunk thing."

They both thought back to the last one night saltand that Castiel had where the partner had spewed hard liquor and bad food in the floor bored of Castiel's car. Castiel shuddered as he remembered having to clean it up, and ended up having to buy new mats. He hoped that Dean would not be a one night thing though, especially since they didn't even do anything. 

"Good point, do you want to do things with him?" Anna raised an eyebrow. 

Castiel felt himself blush. "Anna, we are not having this-"

"The quicker you tell me, the quicker I'll let you get back to work."

"So badly." Castiel seemed to pout when he said this. 

Anna threw her head back in laughter, and went back to the counter when Castiel heard the door ring. He turned to face the door, and saw Jessica and Sam walking in. Sam seemed extremely focused, and Jessica seemed concerned as she glanced every so often up at Sam. 

Castiel watched Sam's eyes scan the small room before he walked over to Castiel. Sam walked fast, and because of his height, only required three steps to make it to Catiel. Jessica walked fast to keep up with him, and kept a hand on one of Sam's biceps. 

"Hello Sam, Jessica." Castiel said to them when they made their way over to him. 

"Castiel, was Dean here last night?" Sam asked with a small chuckle in his voice. 

"Sorry, Castiel, it's just that Sam proposed last night, and he had been trying to get ahold of Dean all night, and when he tried his work phone, he hadn't gotten in yet. He's just been worried about him, he can seem scary, but he's just a big puppy."

Castiel nodded his understanding. "I'm sorry for distracting Dean from your news last night, Sam. I did not mean to, and I apologize."

"It's fine, Castiel, I don't blame you." Sam looked Castiel up and down. "Did you and my brother-"

"No, he just stayed the night. I didn't want him to drive home in his intoxicated state."

"You got my brother drunk?"

"Good job, Castiel, it normally take a lot to get Dean down." Jessica patted his shoulder. 

"It was an accident." Castiel told them. "Can I get you two anything while you're here?"

"Do you have any of those key lime cookie things?" Jessica asked. 

"Just out of the oven!" Anna yells as she walks out from the kitchen carrying a large tray of cookies. 

Jessica glanced between the two men before walking over to gossip with Anna. Both Castiel and Sam had an assumption that they would talk about Castiel and Dean, and they simply ignored the fact. Sam looked over at Jessica, and back at Castiel, smiling slightly. 

"You know, I never thought that Dean would ever get with a baker, and you never really hit me as one of the few people that could get Dean drunk."

Castiel did not understand if this was a complement, or an insult so he have Sam an unsure "Thank you?"

"I mean, I grew up with Dean, he's my brother and all, but I always put him with a busty blond, or a body builder."

"Not a baker?"

"Not a baker."

Both men began laughing and Jessica came over with two key like cookies and a red velvet cupcake for Sam. "What are you two laughing about?"

"Dean's 'type'." Sam said. 

"Yeah, anything with a pulse." Jessica snorted a laugh, and looked up. "Only, honestly, Castiel, I can see you two happy together. Like a match made in Heaven. A profound bond, or something sentimental like that."


	8. Chapter 8

The last thing Dean rembered before falling asleep was watching Castiel take his pants off and climb into bed next to him. He remembered watching Castiel smile when he laid his head down, and how quickly it took Castiel to fall asleep. Dean remembered staying awake long enough to pull Castiel into his arms and hold him close.

Dean didn't remember falling asleep, but he knew it happened because he woke up with the sun filtering through Castiel's windows. When Dean opened his eyes, he felt the sharp pain of a headache, and he knew he would have a hang over all day. He pulled the pillow over his head with a groan, and thought about all of the things he was having to do today. 

Dean did not want to go to work and sort through all of the forms for his transfer. Dean did not want to go over the Percy report. Dean wanted to sleep. Dean wanted to sleep in this bed. In Castiel's bed. He wanted to go downstairs and pull Castiel up there with him, and they could sleep for the rest of the day. He knew that this was not an option, so he mustered up the courage to get out of bed. 

Through blurry eyes, Dean looked at Castiel's room. With most of the shadows gone thanks to the damn Sun, Dean could see smaller details. The picture on the dresser of what looked like a smaller Castiel and Anna with a man and woman. The picture next to it of a younger teenage Castiel with two other men, all with beers in their hands, and their eyes giving an eerie glow due to the flash of the camera. One of the men was very short with blond hair, and one was very scruffy looking. They were all laughing at something lost in time, and Dean smiled. Dean hoped he would get to meet these friends of Castiel's. 

After a while, he had decided it would be best to stop snooping, and take a shower. Dean showered in Castiel's master shower using Castiel's shampoo and body wash. He stepped out feeling cozy and ready for a nap. That; however, was not an option. 

Dean got dressed and trampled down the stairs with a groan. The sun that filtered through the front widows caught him slightly off guard, and he squinted, looking for Castiel. When he found him, it had taken him some trouble, and to others, it may have looked as though he were angry. The fact that he was had nothing to do with that though. 

Castiel seemed worried when Dean made his way over, and it was hard for Dean to not try and comfort him. Dean wante to talk to Castiel, but the pounding headache prevented him from thinking of things to say. When Castiel gave him the time, Dean could feel himself sober up quickly and he decided to ask Castiel out. Castiel seemed hesitant at first, but when Anna butted in and accepted for him, he smiled softly and seemed happy. Dean said his goodbyes and left the bakery. 

The sun outside was even worse than that inside Castiel's shop, and the fact that when he heard his name called, only worsened his headache. He turned around to see Sammy running towards him with Jessica a few feet behind him. It would have been comical if Sam hadn't looked upset. 

"Hey, Sammy," Dean said to him, masking the dizziness and the headache. "What're you doing here?"

"Looking for you, Dean. You haven't answered your phone all day."

Dean cleared his throat when Jessica caught up. She appologized, trying to convince Sam to lightn up and just tell Dean the good news. 

"What good news?" Dean asked, trying not to stumble when he looked from Jess to Sam. 

"Dean, I finally asked Jess to marry me."

"It's about damn time, Sammy, now why are you angry at me?"

"Because, Dean, I've been trying to get ahold of you all night, and I haven't heard anything. Where have you been? I called your office, and your home phone."

Dean looked at the ground and rubbed his neck, admiring some cracks in the sidewalk that resembled Arkansas. 

"Dean, aren't those the clothes you had on yesterday?" Jessica asked, trying to get Dean to look up.

"Dean, you didn't." Sam said slightly disappinted and cautious. "Where were you?"

"I stayed the night at Cas'." Dean tucked his hands into his pockets, and looked at his younger brother. "No funny business, we didn't do anything. I came over after I dropped you off, and then I had some drinks with Cas and I ended up staying the night."

"So, are you two dating now?" Sam sounded confused. 

"I don't think so... I asked him to come over tonight."

"Would you like to date him?" 

"I don't know, Sammy," Dean shrugged. "I'm going to Chicago in the fall, and I'd rather not get Cas into a summer time romance, and he's not the guy to just have a fling with. "

Sam nodded his understanding. 

"We'll just have to see where dinner takes us."  
***  
After Dean said bye to Jessica and Sam, and got into the Impala. He doesn't have anytime to go home first, so he's goin to have to go into work in his street clothes. His dad hated when he did that. John would just have to put up with it today.   
***  
Dean walked into the large lobby of the ground floor of the bank, and hustled past the other people that looked at Dean funny. There was no question why they looked at him in confusion. They were in suits, and Dean was in wrinkled jeans and a t-shirt that probably smelled of tequila and Cas. They carried briefcases, and Dean carried a small tooth comb that he used to make at least his hair look professional. 

He stepped into an empty elevator-glad that there was no one in it-and pressed the button for the top floor where his office was. When he arrived, the secretary greeted him wihout looking up. She simply told him that his lunch was on his desk and that his father demands to speak to him. Dean thanked her and continued his walk to his office. 

Without a second thought, Dean plopped down onto his chair and opened the styrofoam box in front of him. The double bacon cheeseburger looked amazing, but the smell caught him off guard and reminded him just how much he had drank last night. With a choke and a deep frown, he closed the box and pushed it forward, not expecting the voice from his doorway. 

"My son denying food?" He heard his dad say with a chuckle. 

Dean didn't answer, he just moaned and placed his head on his desk. 

"Dean, if you're going to stumble into the office at lunch, and not be in a suit, be nice to Becky and eat your lunch."

"She said there was something you wanted to talk to me about?" Dean dreaded the word that would come out of his father's mouth. 

"Chicago, Dean, we need to talk about Chicago."

Dean lifted his head and looked at his Dad. "We've talked about Chicago, I've turned in the paperwork, and I have a real estate agent booked for August sixteenth. What else is there?"

"Dean, I'm just making sure that you are still aware of why you need to go."

"Because Sammy's a lawyer, not a CEO, and you have to look over everything here. The office in Chicago is a big step for the family business-even though we have several offices all over the world-and I have to go to make sure that everything goes smoothly. It'll only last a year, and then I have the choice of coming back to New York, or staying in Chicago." Dean rattled off. 

"That is the just of it, yes, but Dean,"

"Look, Dad, I have a hangover, we've been over this already, I'm going to Chicago like you wanted, I know what I'm doing, it'll be just like Dallas, just like LA, Tokyo, London, and Paris. You can leave."

"Alright," and with that, his father left.   
***  
By the time Dean had actually wanted the cheeseburger, it was late enough that he would spoil his dinner with Cas. He left work early enough to make it to the small grocery store I his way to his appartment, and pick up the needed ingredients for something lightly romantic, and a bottle of wine. Dean walked into his large appartment and found a note from his cleaning lady letting him know that she stopped by to do a light dusting and pick up while he was gone. 

After putting the groceries in the kitchen, he took a shower and put on something a little less casual and a little more smoldering sex god. The Winchester plaid shirt was rolled up to his elbows, and the front buttons undone to show the white t-shirt that he wore. With all of his personal grooming was done, he looked at his watch. It was almost four o'clock, so Dean decided to create a more comfortable atmosphere. He put on some music, and although he wouldn't admit it, he lit the candles that his mom gave him when he first moved in two years ago. They had never been used, and whenever Mary came over, she asked why his appartment didn't smell like a basket of flowers. 

Dean fixed the air so that it was a comfortable temperature and dimmed the lights before heading out to pick up Cas.   
***  
Dean arrived at the bakery slightly early, and upon his arrival, Anna told him that Castiel was still upstairs getting ready, and gave Dean permission to visit him. He smiled and thanked her, takin the stairs two at a time, not realizing how nervous he was until he reached the last step and tried to knock. His arm simply wouldn't. After a deep breath, Dean knocked and was told to come in from the voice inside. 

Dean walked towards Castiel's voice as he continued to murmur things and stood at his doorway. Castiel was picking up some clothes from the floor that weren't there that morning. They must have been candidates for what Cas wanted to wear. 

"Okay, Anna, there's like ten more minutes before he's supposed to be here, how do I look," Castiel asked turning to face the doorway. He froze when he realized that it was Dean. 

They held eye contact for a long while and Dean took in Castiel's outfit. He wore a dark navy button down tucked into a pair of tight black pants. 

"You look great, Cas..." Dean told him, looking mostly at the tightness of Castiel's pants. "Oh, sorry, I kind of let myself in, Anna told me to go upstairs."

"That sounds about right." Castiel said with a laugh. "Are your ready to go, Dean?"  
***  
The ride to Dean's appartment was comfortable. Castiel and Dean exchanged stories over Led Zepplin, and it was a great starter for dinner. When they got to Dean's appartment, Dean opened all of the doors for Castiel, and let Castiel on the elevator first. The elevator ride up was awkward because of Dean's neighbor from across the hall. She was an older woman who enjoyed throwing extravagant parties for New Years and the 4th of July. Her hand written invitations caused Dean many unexpected visitors, all because her 2218's looked like 2219's. 

Castiel and Dean arrived on the top floor that was only shared by two appartments. Dean's, and the lady from across the hall. Castiel nodded for Dean to take the lead and walk in front of him, which Dean did without a problem, leading Castiel to his appartment. 

Unlocking the front door, Dean told Cas that he hadn't started cooking yet, but Castiel could sit and talk with him if he liked. 

"That's fine," Cas told him when he took his first steps into Dean's appartment. "Do you have anything to drink?"

"Beer, water, and wine, I can make you a drink while I cook."

"It's your home, Dean." Dean smiled at Castiel and Castiel smiled back. "I'll take a glass of wine, please." 

Dean lead Castiel into the kitchen, and showed him the wine closet. There were two doors side-by-side and Dean explained that the other was the pantry. 

"You have a very large appartment, Dean." Castiel told Dean as they were looking at wine labels. 

"Yeah, it's also very empty," Dean held a bottle in each hand, and didn't look up. "Red, or white?"

"White, please."


	9. Chapter 9

Castiel sat on the counter next to the stove top with the pasta boiling. He watched Dean move around his kitchen effortlessly. It was the same comfort that Castiel felt at the bakery, and seeing Dean so at home, eased the nerves that had convinced Castiel that he would throw up the moment he saw Dean standing in his doorway. For the first time in a long time, Castiel felt comfortable in someone else's kitchen, and it felt wonderful. 

"And that is the story that Sammy turned into class about what happened over the summer." Dean laughed, standing next to Castiel and mixing the pasta. 

"That's nothing, when Anna and I stayed with my cousin Gabriel and Aunt Naomi. Anna had decided to jump off of my aunt's bed and onto her dresser, she hit her head on the corner of the dresser, and when we were at the hospital, she had convinced everyone that she had lost her memory." Dean let out a hearty laugh, and Castiel took another sip of his wine, listening to Dean's laughter, and watching his face.   
***  
Dinner had finished, and Dean made their plates in the kitchen, inviting Castiel to eat with him in the dining room. Castiel followed with a warm smile, and a warm plate. The size of Dean's dinning room was almost as big as his kitchen, and the table could fit twelve comfortably. There were only two sets, side-by-side, and there was a small candelabra imbetween. Dean pulled out Castiel's chair for him, and light the candles before dimming the lights and taking his own. When Dean took his seat, there was just enough lights for them to look at eachother dreamily. 

"Dean Winchester," Castiel spoke with a flirtatious grin before taking a bite of his pasta. "Are you trying to romance me?"

"Only if you're up for it." The twinkle in Dean's eye made Castiel's smile grow. 

"I think that I could be up for just about anything you throw at me." They held eye contact for a while longer. "You make great pasta, Dean."

Dean took a moment to register the complement because he was watching Castiel's lips wrap around his fork. "Uh, thanks, Cas... I'm glad you like it."

Castiel paused to look at Dean the same way Dean had looked at him when Dean took a bite. He imagined Dean in the kitchen where they had just been with his lips hot on Castiel's neck. Dean's hands were curled around his fork the way Castiel would imagine Dean's hands curling into his hair. 

"Is there something on my face?" Dean asked. 

"Oh, no, sorry, I was just," Castiel cleared his throat. "I was just uh..."

Dean leaned in closer to a Castiel as his voice got lower. "Just what, Cas?"

"I thought I saw a..." Castiel leaned into Dean too until they were only a few inches away. "Dean?"

"Yeah, Cas?" Dean and Cas's legendary eye contact was broken as Dean looked down to Castiel's lips. 

Castile pulled himself back. "Nothing, I just thought I saw something, but I guess it's just the lighting." 

Clearing his throat, Dean looked down and went back to eating. "Yeah... The lighting."  
***  
The two of them unconciously ate their dinner exceedingly fast, and after blowing out the candles, Castiel followed Dean to the living room. They were laughing for seemingly no reason, broken by glances and stares. Which only caused them to giggle far more than either of them would admit. 

Dean told Castiel to make himself comfortable, and that he could take off his shoes and put his feet on the furniture. Castiel did take off his shoes, but did not prop his feet on the coffee table as he had just witnessed Dean do, he had instead, tucked them underneath him and sat in a corner of the large couch. Dean smiled at Castiel's comfort, and positioned himself closer to Castiel. This only made his smile grow. 

After some time, and multiple bottles of wine, they began a very long discussion on whether or not it totally ruined Castiel's childhood that he had never seen any of the Star Wars films. This then lead to Dean putting on the fourth episode, starting with the originals as it should be. 

It wasn't until the middle of Darth Vadar and Obi-Wan's battle that either of them had noticed that they were cuddling. 

Even after they realized, they did not move until they watched the Death Star explode. The movement was Dean having to get up to put on the next movie and Castiel moved over so that even when he came back, they would not be touching. Dean picked up one of the light blankets that he had on a chair and handed it to Castiel who refused it. 

"Go ahead man, I felt how cold you were."

"No, really, Dean, you were cold also. You take it."

Dean looked down at the blanket and smiled an innocent smile. "We could share it." And that's what they did.   
***  
In the fifth episode, Dean kept a running commentary on the movie and entertaining Castiel with facts about it. Castiel could tell that Dean was trying to keep Castiel awake, because he could feel himself start to nod off on Dean's chest. It wasn't that Castiel thought Dean didn't want Castiel on him, it was obvious that Dean simply wanted Castiel to watch and enjoy it, just like he does. 

Castiel was extremely tired, and Dean noticed him finally close his eyes with Han Solo and Leia's 'I know' scene. After he decided to let Castiel sleep, Dean turned off the television and looked down at his couch which had Castiel curled up in between Dean's legs and soon fell asleep there with the blanket over him. Dean hadn't noticed Castiel's state until the credits began to role and the only movement Castiel made was to snuggle up closer to Dean. Of course, this only made Dean smile, and turn off the television. He made no movement to move Castiel, but he instead pushed himself deeper into the couch to make himself more comfortable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this takes so long.  
> So sorry.

**Author's Note:**

> I know, Bakery AU, but it's my first fic, and while I have multiple saved on my computer, I figured that I would start with a happy, feel-good fic. Criticism is appreciated, just don't be a dick .


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